The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-22
WONDERFULWAI,TER.
A Criminal Whose Exploits Have
Eclipsed JacAShepard.

known representative of thePinkerton Ma
tional Detective Agency wllled leisurey
into the rotunda of the Palmer House, and
afterpurchasing a select Cocha, sank into
one of the commodious ,aairs that are
placed SO plentifully abou, with the sci
purpose of giving himselflp to few mo-
ments' rumination over to fumes of hi.
fragrant cigar. He hao just finished
reading an account, il the evening
papers, of McGarigle's cnge to Sheriff
Matson and the Windy Cit, and was con
templating the whereabout of that festive
boodler.
While thus engrossed 4 this intricate
problem, and perfectly Obvious to things
mundane, his reverie was suddenly dissi
pated by the appearance If a bumptious
Enquirer correspondent, Who Immediately
lassoed him with his quey rope, and I'M
relentingly chung to him uitil he was fam
to pay ransom for hi releasa, in the
way Of an excellent account of one of the
most
MIRACULOUS P RISoN ESCAPES
on record. "Some escapes sal, he, "have
been wonderful indeed, but in most cases
they have been expedited by theayish use of
money, and many of the most MYSTERIOUS jail
breaks have been exploited Though bribery
and the conniyance of the CARDS Take,
for instance, Red Leary's tcapades, and
those of the Coniacker, Pee Mccartney.
Their escapes were startling nd apparently
hazardous, but in nearly Gerry successful
attempt the potency of gol effected their
purpose, and especially wa this the case
with the latter. Imagine aman locked up
In a secure jail, declaring to he Prosecuting
Attorney, who was visiting i'm at the time,
that he would call on him dlring the night
at his residence Fancy tb attorneys sur
prise and amazement wha his door was
suddenly opened, and the man stood con-
feSSed, true to his declardion. This was
one of Pete's exploits, butt subsequently,
leaked out that he had blbed one of the
guards, and his egress washus made mat
ter of the sheerest simplify, although the
incredulous outside wori stood gaping at
each other in blank beulderment regard
ing the prank i'll the ligt Of an imposSi-
bility."
Hero the detective bean to flag in his re-
cital, but the Enql.irernan was not to be
denied, so giving his laso an extra pull, he
ventured, in his blandes manner, to elicit
his opinion of the most remarkable escape
he had ever heard of.
swell, j" resumed the complacent officer,
81 have read of the rther apocryphal de-
vices of Jack Shepard to gain his liberty,
but the escapes | am bout to tell you not
only transcend his fo1temerity and hazard
GUS undertaking, but are devoid of that
tinge of fiction that are associated with
Jack Shepards adventures; moreover,
what gives a more marvellous SAVIOR to
the forthcoming circumstances, is the
fact that both jail beaks were made from
the
SAME PRISON AID BY THE SAME MAN.
In Shepard's days key was all that was re-
TO boz aInf w in
these days there las only been one case sue
cessfully executd in the last ten years by
that means. Tie modern switch bar, as
used for some lime in the various peniten-
tiaries of this eountE destroysthe utility of
all keys, and they are seldom resorted to.
But to my story:
Son Nov. %, 1881, William Walter, alias
William Schmidt, was sentenced from Ed
wardsville, Madison county, ILL.,, for five
years, having been convicted on the charge
of burglary. Quite a number of local
thieves were settled about the same time for
terms not exceeding two years, but as Wal
ter was not local thief being previously
unknown to the authorities), and as his SEN
tence was much in excess of that given to
his fellow convicts, he regarded it i'll the light
of a persecution, especially as all the rest
had been tried on the same charge
burglary
Feeling that his sentence was unreason-
ably severe he made statement to the
Judge to that effect, and deliberately told
his honor that he would never stay in con-
tinement for that length of time. OF course
his assertion was secuted as the vaporings
of an embittered mind, and little thought
was given to it.
''On the day of his conviction and sentence
he was at once taken to the Southern Illinois
Pcnitentiary at Chester. As he gave his
trade as that of a mechanic, he was placed
in the construction department and put to
work ON the sewer, which was just about
at that time. 1t was while at
work here that he CLEANED a thorough
knowledge of the workings of the sewer and
of the various ducts that led to the main
one. The sewer divides the prison build
ings proper from thequarry, and runs from
the eastern extremity of the GROUNDS into
the Mississippi river, distance of $50
feet. Walter had contemplated making bid
for liberty for some time, and as his brain
was actively engaged in fathoming some
practical outlet, the facilities offered by the
sewer struck him as the best means he could
then devise.
Son May 10, 1882, six months after his in
the declaration he had made be-
fore the Judge OF the Madison county court
was fully realized.
"There was no opportunity for him to
make
THE ATTEMPT AT NIGHT,
rs the convicts were all securely locked up
at dark in the dollhouse, so he determined
to make the effort while at work in the
On tho foregoing morning he
was assigned to place in the machine
shops for the purpose of fitting several
pieces of iron into some stone-work. 1t was
while at work here that he constructed
saw for the purpose of severlng
any bars that stood between him and liberty.
AS he had the run of the yard, he was not
missed until about IL O'Clock a. m, when
search was instituted for him in the
boiler house, where he was supposed to be
1T seems that some time during the early
part of the morning he crept into a duct
leading to the main sewer back OF the
Warden's house, and crawled a distance of
$40 yards before his progress was lmpeded
by an obstruction in the form of several
IRON bars, placed across the sewer to pre-
clude the escape of any prisoners who had
the rashness to seek freedom by that means.
To gain this point he had to draw himself
on his hands and knees through excrement
and offal of the foulest nature, and the mol
some odor that was exhaled from this fifth
was almost sitting. However, that did not
'etard his course, and he soon fell to work
On the iron Aarriers with his improvlsed
iaw. The bars were one and half inches
ihick, but their presumed impregnability,
was soon surmounted, and after he had
,awed his way through he proceeded on
distance of 1850 feet until he floated safely
INTO the Mississippi river Once breathing
,he fresh air of the outside world. and feel